ASYNCHRONOUS MOTORS

PROTECTION SYSTEMS
MOTOR PROTECTION
To protect an asynchronous three-phase
electric motor from possible failure,
adequate protection devices must be
installed upstream of the motor. These
devices must be capable of finding the
defect and shutting down the machine. If
the defect is not eliminated over a period
of time, it may damage the motor or its
power supply.
Protections are substantially divided into:
1. protection against overcurrent
2. protection against overtemperature
3. protection against short circuits
4. 4. protection against earth faults.
1. Usually, a thermal cutout is used to
protect against overcurrent; such cutouts
make use of the principle of the thermal
expansion of a bimetallic strip sensitive to
possible overheating due to excessive
current absorption (fig. 1).

cutouts can be used with up to 500 Hz

without problems. A solution to the
problem can be the use of thermal image
relays. In any case, the above-mentioned
relays cannot be used for starts that last
longer than 30 sec. Therefore they must
be by-passed during this transient period.
2. Temperature-sensitive elements are
used
for
protection
against
overtemperature; such elements are
particularly suitable for the protection of
motors with very high frequency of
operation. As a matter of fact, thermal
cutouts are not suitable for frequencies
of operation of over 15 starting cycles per
hour. The most frequently used thermistor
is a binary PTC resistor. When the critical
temperature is reached, the resistance
increases suddenly, causing the device
with which the PTC resistor is connected
to be immediately activated (fig. 2).

Analog PTC resistor

R

Threshold 1

Threshold 2

Analog NTC resistor

R

Threshold 1

Threshold 2

Fig.3

Time

Binary PTC resistor

Load curve

Resistance

1,1 x ln

1,5 x ln

2 x ln

Critical threshold

Current

Fig.1

The type of thermal cutout to be used must

be chosen with particular attention, also
taking the type of motor starting into
account. In the standards, starts lasting no
longer than 10 sec are considered normal
starts. In such cases thermal cutouts with
a 10 or 10A release class can be used (IEC
947 - 4).
Class 20 or 30 bimetal strip thermal cutouts
with saturated iron TA are usually used for
particularly "heavy" starts. However, these
are suitable only for use with frequencies
of 50 or 60 Hz, whereas normal thermal

Time

Fig.2

Other types used are analog PTC and NTC

resistors; the latter type is generally used
when two thresholds are required, one for
indication and one for tripping (fig. 3).
These types of devices are also used to
protect motors with power-assisted
ventilation. In case of servo-ventilation
breakdown, thermal cutouts cannot detect
the stator temperature increase caused by
a possible ventilation system defect.
.

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3. Fuses or circuit breakers are used to

protect against short circuits. Fuses offer
a remarkable low-cost breaking capacity;
moreover, their construction principle
assures short operating times which
decrease notably at the increase of the
short-circuit current so that the let-through
energy curve is kept constant (I2t). Circuit
breakers have the advantage of being more
precisely adjusted as compared with fuses.
There are thermal magnetic circuit
breakers that can protect the motor against
overloads as well as against short circuits.
In any case the values of the magnetic
protection must be from 12 to 15 times
higher than In to avoid operation during the
starting phase.
4. Protection against earth faults generally
means using differential relays sensitive to
possible earth leakage caused by a defect
or by loss of machine insulation. For
medium or large motors (from 30 kW 2
poles upwards) with direct starting,
differential protection must be by-passed
in order to avoid its useless operation due
to unbalance among the three phases
during starting. There are also special
differential relays for motor protection.